Victorian government to draft regulations supporting virtual fencing for cattle
The Victorian government will develop new regulations to support the rollout of virtual fencing for cattle, bringing the state in line with other jurisdictions across Australia.
Victoria and South Australia are the only states yet to legalise the technology, which uses wireless electronic collars that make noises and deliver pulses to tell cattle where they can and cannot go.
The government's decision to green light new regulations, announced on the ABC's Victorian Country Hour, has been welcomed by dairy farmers that have long campaigned for access to the technology.
Agriculture Minister Ros Spence said she had consulted widely about the change.
"I'm convinced that Victorian farmers should have the option to use virtual fencing and herding technology if they chose to," she said.
Victoria is home to more than two-thirds of Australia's dairy industry, with most cattle grazing in open pastures.
Virtual fencing uses GPS-enabled collars that allow farmers to define boundaries via a phone app or computer.
Cattle receive audio cues or mild electrical pulses if they attempt to cross those boundaries.
Colac dairy farmer and president of Dairy Farmers Victoria Mark Billing said the move was a "game changer" that would give Victorian farmers parity with interstate producers.
The state government announcement comes after a slew of industry engagement and research to understand the animal welfare impacts of the technology, and how it can create better and more efficient farms.
New Zealand-based company Halter, which supplies virtual fencing technology, said the pulses were significantly milder than those from conventional electric fences.
Halter vice president of strategic relations Charlie Baker said they were "100 times weaker" than a shock delivered by an electric fence.
He said the system also offered broader animal welfare benefits.
The Victorian government would need to amend animal cruelty laws pertaining to shock collars to allow the use of virtual fencing.
Ms Spence said she had asked Agriculture Victoria to prepare the amendments.
"We'll change the regulations to make that the case," she said.
The Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is also developing a federal guide for virtual fencing, to provide a consistent regulatory approach across all states and territories.
The RSPCA has been contacted for comment.
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